Category: Android

AntennaPod interface

Podcast Player AntennaPod 3.4 launches with massive performance gains

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The end of Google’s Podcast application and the attempt to push users to the mediocre alternative YouTube Music has pushed some users to other podcasting apps.

AntennaPod is an open source podcast player and manager that is updated regularly. Core features include:

  • No ads.
  • Option to subscribe to podcasts using online podcast directories.
  • Download podcast episodes manually or automatically.
  • Modify settings per-podcast, e.g., playback speed or auto-skipping.
  • Supports authentication.
  • Lots of customization options.

AntennaPod 3.4.0

The latest update improved the application’s efficiency in several key areas. The developers note in the release note that this update completes the modernization of the apps’ code structure. The process began three years ago.

AntennaPod 3.4.0 improves the refreshing of subscriptions by up to three times compared to the previous performance. This improvement is especially noticeable if a user has subscribed to a lot of podcasts.

The release notes mention at least 1000 episodes. While that sounds like a lot, it depends on the subscribed podcasts.

The second improvement speeds up the deletion of podcasts subscription. This process is improved by up to the factor 10.

The new version includes other improvements:

  • An option to back up the database automatically is now available. You find it under Settings > Import/Export > Automatic database export. It saves the database every three days when activated and keeps the last 5 backups.
  • Add a sleep timer to AntennaPod notifications. This option is found under Settings > User Interface > Set notification buttons.
  • Skip Silence can now be configured per subscription.
  • An option to reorder sections on the homepage is now also available.

While there are other excellent apps out there, AntennaPod is certainly among them when it comes to functionality and the overall experience.

What about you? Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which app or service do you use?

Droid

F-Droid 1.19.0 released: automatic apps updates

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

A new version of the open source privacy-friendly F-Droid app for Android is now available. F-Droid offers an alternative to Google Play. It features only free and open source software, and includes apps that are not allowed on Google Play due to Google policies.

F-Droid 1.19.0 is the latest version. It introduces a much requested feature: the ability to update apps automatically.

While F-Droid 1.19.0 is already available, it is not pushed to user devices yet. It is necessary to seek the update manually to install it.

To do so, open F-Droid on your Android device. Run a search for F-Droid and select the F-Droid result from the list of search results. Scroll down and expand Versions on the page. There you find version 1.19.0 listed. Expand the version and select the install option to start the upgrade.

F-Droid: apps auto-updates

F-Droid expert mode

The main new feature of F-Droid 1.19.0 is auto updating for installed apps. The feature works only on Android 12 or newer devices.

The team notes:

On Android 12 or later, apps will be autoupdated after the first install or first update, no root, no unlocking, no PrivExt needed.

Some older apps can not be updated automatically. F-Droid continues notify users about these apps so that they may be updated manually.

F-Droid users who prefer the old way — inform about updates, but do not auto-install — may restore the classic functionality.

This is done in the following way:

  • Open the F-Droid application on the Android device.
  • Select Settings.
  • Scroll down to the “Other” section and enable Expert mode there.
  • Scroll all the way down and enable “Force old installer”.

This option disables the new installer and thus also automatic background updates. You may undo the change at any time by toggling the force old installer preference.

Managing other repositories

F-Droid supported using other repos for adding and managing apps for some time. The functionality was limited to adding and removing repositories.

F-Droid 1.19.0 introduces a new option to add repositories. This is done either through the repositories URL or by scanning a QR code. The app fetches repository information and displays the listed apps before the repo is added to the database.

The team writes:

In short, paste repo link or use QR code, see list of apps before adding it, see apps from a single repo, all new features that make repositories a joy to use. Mirrors like to keep things chill and in the background, but they are expanding and getting easier to control, as plain servers, Tor .onion hosted or via IPFS gateways.

Other changes

The new version includes lots of improvements. Lots of apps got updated, and 11 new apps are now available in the main repository.

You may check out the official announcement of the new release here.

Firefox

Firefox 122 for Android launches with secret local add-on install option

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla released Firefox 122 for the desktop and for Android a few days ago. The desktop release was a light release. The highlight was a new -.deb package release for Linux users.

The Firefox 122 for Android release, on the other hand, introduced several improvements that are noteworthy. The official release notes list just a few of them.

The new mobile version of Firefox is already available. Mozilla lists just three of the improvements on its website:

  • The option to set Firefox as the default PDF reader on Android.
  • Support for Global Privacy Control. This is off in regular browsing mode by default, but users may enable the feature under Settings > Enhanced Tracking Protection > Tell websites not to share & sell data.
  • Firefox reports Android 10 as the operating system to reduce “user fingerprinting information” and “website compatibility issues.

Global Privacy Control may require an explanation. This relatively new initiative aims to move user consent from websites and services to the browser. It informs website operators that the user does not give it the right to sell or share personal information.

How to enable local add-on installations in Firefox 122 for Android

Firefox 122 Android

Mozilla changed its mind in regards to add-ons support. For some time, Firefox Stable for Android supported only a few dozen extensions. While these were some of the most popular add-ons for Firefox, it limited users significantly.

This changed last year when Mozilla unlocked full extensions support. Over 700 extensions are now available for Firefox.

Tip: check out these tips for extensions use in Firefox for Android.

A new change is the ability to install local extensions. It is a great option for developers and to integrate extensions that are not available officially yet.

It is necessary to unlock the Debug menu first. This is done by opening Menu > Settings > About Firefox. Tap five times on the Firefox logo on the page that opens to enable the Debug menu.

A new “Install add-on from file” option is added to the browser’s main settings page afterwards.

Select the option to display a file browser. Use it to pick the add-on that you want to install. Note that it needs to be stored locally already before you use the functionality.

Other improvements in Firefox 122 for Android

Sören Hentzschel published a list of additional features that Mozilla did not mention in the release notes. These are:

  • Cookie Banner Blocking supports Consent Management Provider (CPMs). This adds support for several widely used solutions to display cookie banners.
  • Audio Sandbox is now also active in Firefox for Android.
  • Firefox users may report add-ons to Mozilla now.

Closing Words

Firefox 122 for Android improves support for extensions further. The option to install add-ons from file in the stable version improves development and gives users of the browser additional options.

Not everyone needs these, as the list of add-ons grows significantly each week currently.

Now You: do you use Firefox on Android or another browser?

Video creator

Grayjay: follow video creators on multiple platforms

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Grayjay is a new application for Google Android devices to follow video creators on multiple platforms.

Depending on how active you are when it comes to streaming media, you may know that many video creators publish content to different platforms. A basic example is a Twitch streamer who also publishes some footage on YouTube.

Keeping up with just a single creator may require following them on different platforms. Follow more and add more platforms and it can get complicated quickly.

Grayjay set out to fix this. It supports a good number of platforms already. Besides YouTube and Twitch, Grayjay supports PeerTube, Odysee, Kick, Patreon, Rumble, Nebula and SoundCloud. Support for Subscribestar is under development already and there is a good chance that more platforms are added in the future.

The app does not require an account. Since it supports the downloading of videos, it is not available on Google Play. You may download it for Android from the developer website.

One effect of using Grayjay is that you can watch videos without ads. While you can block ads on YouTube and other platforms, it is another benefit of using the app.

Using Grayjay

Grayjay

YouTube is the only source by default. You may change that with a click on Sources and the selection of one or multiple sources. All of these are shown in the main interface. The developer notes that adding more sources may impact loading times, as videos from different platforms need to be loaded.

Tap on any video to play it right then and there in Grayjay. This is useful already, especially since Grayjay supports a queue, custom playlists and watch later functionality. The option to download any video is also provided. The downloads menu lists options to change the quality of the video before downloading it.

The main feature of Grayjay is its follow option. You may subscribe (follow) on any video page or by selecting the channel name. Options to enable notifications and follow only streams or videos are provided.

You need to subscribe to sources individually. There is no option at the moment to select a creator and follow them on all platforms that they publish or stream on.

Still, this is one time process to follow creators on multiple platforms. You may create groups for subscriptions to improve organization. Options include creating groups for individual creators or themed groups based on interests.

The app supports imports and exports of data. This allows you to share subscriptions across multiple devices or migrate subscriptions to new devices.

Verdict

Grayjay appears to be free to use at the moment. The app is open source and you may access the source on Gitlab. There is a “buy” link under “more” in the app that is asking for a payment of €9.99 plus tax. Several developers work fulltime on the app according to the page. The developers hope that enough users find their app useful to pay for it and make it sustainable.

Grayjay works well already. It would benefit from additional features, including the ability to follow a creator on all platforms with just a tap. While that may be difficult to automate, it could maintain a database of developer accounts on various platforms and use crowdsourcing to maintain it.

All in all, it is an interesting app that shows a lot of promise.

AI

Microsoft Edge for Android’s new Copilot Toolbar

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft has renamed its browser for Android recently to Microsoft Edge: AI Browser. The browser is getting an infusion of Copilot and AI features. One of the latest is the Copilot Toolbar.

Available in Microsoft Edge Canary only at the time of writing, it is designed to give users even quicker access to Copilot.

Copilot is the main term that Microsoft uses for AI in its products. There is Windows Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and a large number of other Copilots. There is even a standalone Microsoft Copilot app for Android.

The mobile Edge browser supports Copilot already. Since it is the “AI browser”, it ships with Copilot included. This base version works similarly to Copilot on the web, but there are a few differences.

A tap on the prominent Copilot button opens the interface. You may use it to get a summary of the active webpage or communicate with the AI using text or voice input.

The Copilot Toolbar in Microsoft Edge: AI Browser

Copilot Toolbar Microsoft Edge

The Copilot Toolbar shows up at the bottom of webpages. It is placed on top of the main Edge toolbar.

It features two options currently: summarize and “ask me about this page”. Both open the main Copilot interface on selection. The first summarizes the webpage, the second offers information about the content on the page.

The toolbar feels a bit out of place. A tap on the Copilot button opens the interface of the AI as well. There you may also tap on the summary option to get it.

The toolbar saves you a single click. It is not overly useful. Microsoft, on the other hand, gets more eyes on Copilot.

The Copilot Toolbar offers some options. Tap on the three-dots next to it to get them. You may disable the toolbar “once”, “on this site” or “globally” using the menu.

Enable the Copilot Toolbar in Edge

The new toolbar is only available in Microsoft Edge Canary for Android. You need to enable it, as it is provided as an experimental flag only at this time:

  • Make sure Microsoft Edge Canary is up to date.
  • Load edge://flags in the browser’s address bar.
  • Search for Copilot Toolbar.
  • Set the status of the feature to Enabled.
  • Restart Microsoft Edge.

The toolbar shows up automatically on webpages and when PDF documents are loaded.

Closing Words

Microsoft pushes AI into all of its products. Some of the integrations feel like tests, to see what works and what does not. Copilot Toolbar is one of these. It does not offer much in terms of functionality.

The summary function is supported already. Considering that it takes a few seconds or sometimes more to get the AI to generate the summary, it may sometimes be faster to read the article by yourself.

This may not be true for very long articles, but it is necessary to verify the information the AI provides anyway.

Thunderbird Android

Thunderbird for Android postponed to 2024

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The first official version of Thunderbird for Android will not be released in 2023. The Thunderbird team announced this week that it has postponed the release to 2024.

To better understand why, it is necessary to look back at the initial plan. It all started with the separation of Thunderbird from core Mozilla. Eventually, the new team announced plans to release the email client for Android.

Instead of creating an app from scratch, which would have taken considerable development resources and time, it decided to cooperate with an existing app developer. K-9 Mail is a long standing app for Android.

Now that the target was set, the team had to decided on a feature set for Thunderbird for Android. K-9 Mail supported core features already, but to make it Thunderbird, the app had to support a set of features that the team considered essential.

Once the list was set in stone, the team estimated the development time it would take to get these features integrated. It even set the end of 2023 as the release period for the first stable release of Thunderbird for Android.

As year’s end kept coming closer, the team realized that the app would not be ready for a release. Even cutting features was not enough, and it could also disappoint some users who expected certain features to be present.

Thunderbird for Android in 2024

The decision was made to postpone the official release of Thunderbird for Android to 2024. The change removes pressure from development. It also means that the first release version will support all the features of the original list.

For now, it is still K-9 Mail which users may download from F-Droid or Google Play to install on their Android devices. In 2024, it will change automatically to Thunderbird for Android on devices it is installed on.

Closing words

The decision to postpone the release makes sense on many levels. Instead of rushing a version that may not be up-to-par quality or feature-wise, development is getting enough time to get it right the first time.

A false start could have negative consequences for the entire app on Android. The team needs to take a look at user reviews as well, as they are not only positive.

Interested users may check out the latest development progress report on the official Thunderbird blog.

Now You: do you use an email app on your mobile devices?

How to use Modes and Routines on Samsung devices

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Remember IFTTT (If This Then That?. The service allowed you to create rules to automate certain tasks. From basic tasks, such as getting the weather forecast every day at 8:00 AM to parking your autonomic mower if the weather forecast foresees frost or heavy rain.

Samsung’s Modes and Routines feature for its Galaxy series of devices promises something similar. You may use it to create automated tasks on your devices.

Modes describes certain situations, e.g., where you are or what you are doing. The feature includes preset modes, for example sleep, driving or exercise, and the option to create custom modes.

Routines are rules that you may combine with modes or other features of the device. You can create routines to enable sleep mode every day at 10 PM and change certain configurations on the device at the same time.

Routines and Modes can be configured individually or in combination.

Setting up Modes and Routines

Samsung Modes and Routines Android

You find Modes and Routines in the Settings on the device. Note that it is not available on all Samsung devices, phones and tablets, at the time of writing. Samsung’s support page lists all recent Samsung Galaxy S devices, The Note10 and Note20, Z Fold, Z Flip and the A52 as supported.

One easy way to access the feature is to display the quick settings on the device and activate the settings icon that is displayed there. This opens the Settings and Modes and Routines should be displayed there.

Modes explained

Samsung Modes

All modes use the same basic template. You may select a preset or create custom modes. Each mode has a name, icon and color associated with it. You specify its duration and when it turns on. This may happen manually on user request or automatically.

Automatic options include when a specific app is opened, at a specific place, a time period, when a Bluetooth device connects or disconnects, or other custom parameters. The feature supports a whole range of custom options, including Android Auto, Wi-Fi, when games are played, calls are made or media is played.

Once you have set up these parameters, you may set the desired actions. This includes enabling staying focused to avoid distractions and plenty of other options. You may enable dark or power saving mode, change the volume, and change dozens of other settings or features of the device.

You may configure multiple actions that are enabled automatically when the mode is turned on.

When a mode is active, it may also change the appearance of the lock screen and the home screen.

Routines explained

Samsung Routines

Routines are the second big cornerstone. They may also be used for automation on the device. Routines always come in the format “if” and “then”. If describes triggers that execute the “then” actions.

If a mode is active, do this. If Wi-Fi Network strength drops beyond a certain point, switch to another network. If your location is X, do that. If Android Auto is connected, enable Do Not Disturb mode.

Closing Words

Modes and routines are powerful options to automate certain tasks and actions on Samsung devices. It may take a while to fully understand what you can do with the feature, as there is so much to explore and check out.

It takes just a minute or so to set up a new automated routine on the device, but there is no limit regarding complexity. You may create easy automations, like enabling sleep mode every day at 10 PM and enabling power saving mode, eye comfort shield and dim the wallpaper at the same time.

You may also create actions that involve location rather than time. Maybe enable Do Not Disturb whenever you are at work, school or at the cinema. Lots of options to configure, which is the feature’s greatest strength but may also make others shy away from it.

Now You: do you use automation on your devices?

Battery at zero

If your phone’s battery discharges quickly, try this fix

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

My wife’s Google Pixel 7a phone suddenly discharged way too quickly. It would go from 100% to 30% in a matter of hours, even without any major use of the device.

This was quite puzzling. First, because this was a relative new occurrence. Second, because settings and use of the phone were in stark contrast to the rapid discharging. You could almost see the power percentage going down.

It got that bad that she had to charge her phone multiple times per day to keep it at a workable level. No matter what she did, it seemingly lost a lot of power in a matter of hours.

Here is the fix

I tried various tweaks to stabilize power usage. This included reducing brightness, enabling dark mode or power saving functionality. None of this worked.

My last resort was a drastic option. I decided to fully discharge the device to see if this would fix the issue. The battery calibration might not work correctly and resetting it required discharging the battery fully.

I downloaded 3D Mark for the device and started to run it. Battery went down quickly at first, but imagine my surprise when it started to stay on very low levels for a long time.

When it reached 1%, it took hours before it finally powered down. This was an indicator that the calibration was off and that it was not a problem with the battery itself or use of the device.

I plugged the device in and let it charge. I ran some tests afterwards and discovered that the calibration was working properly again. The device wouldn’t discharge battery rapidly anymore, which was excellent news.

Closing Words

Battery calibration issues can be resolved by discharging the battery entirely. This may resolve any related issues. Note that the device was not losing power faster than before, but that the battery load indicator was working incorrectly.

Anyway, if you notice similar behavior, you may want to give this a try.

How to prevent fullscreen video ads on Amazon Fire TV

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Amazon Fire TV devices may show fullscreen video ads now when started. These advertise Amazon Prime Video content. Good news is that users may turn these off on their devices.

The trailers play before users have had any interaction with the device, apart from turning it on. Amazon introduced the change on all current Fire TV devices, including Fire TV Cube and Stick devices.

Fire TV customers are not informed about the change by Amazon. The company provided Android Authority with a statement though in which it highlighted the awesomeness of the feature.

In short, Amazon sees it as a new way for customers to “discover something great to watch”. And it is super easy to go back to Home according to Amazon. All it takes is to press the Back or Home button on the Fire TV remote to do so.

Fire TV users may turn off this new experience.

Turn off fullscreen Ads on Fire TV devices

Amazon Fire TV Video Autoplay

Amazon integrated functionality to turn off video autoplay in the player’s main settings. Here is how that is done:

  • Select the Settings button on the Homescreen of the device.
  • Activate Preferences to open all device preferences.
  • Locate and select Featured Content.
  • Disable Allow Video Autoplay by toggling it to Off.
  • While you are at it, disable Allow Audio Autoplay by toggling it to Off as well.

You won’t get fullscreen video trailers anymore when you turn on the TV and switch to the Fire TV device.

Note that turning this off will also impact preview videos while browsing Home only. The Amazon Prime Video app, and other apps for that matter, may still autoplay video and audio content.

Options to turn off these may be available, but this depends on the individual apps.

Closing Words

Amazon plays fullscreen video trailers for its content on Fire TV devices. Some may say that Amazon has every right to do so, others may disagree, especially if they don’t consume any Prime Video content on the device.

It is thankfully easy to turn off autoplay of audio and video content in Home. Amazon’s Prime Video app has its own set of preferences. There you find options to mute videos while browsing channels, which is better than having to tap on Mute on the remote each time you start browsing videos on the site.

Again, this is all about personal preferences. There are probably lots of users out there that love the preview feature. If you ask me, it is one of the most annoying things when it comes to streaming services.

Now You: do you use streaming service? What is your take on autoplaying content?

About Samsung’s Temporary Cloud Backup

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Temporary Cloud Backup is a new service by Samsung. It is rolling out to Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets with One UI 6 or later.

The backup solution looks like many other cloud-based backup services on first glance. Samsung users may use it to back up data on cloud servers. What makes this different is that the storage is temporary.

The data is stored for up to 30 days in the cloud. Samsung claims that there are not any storage size restrictions. The only limitation, in fact, is that individual files may not be larger than 100 Gigabytes, which most users should not run into.

All the backing up and transferring happens on the user’s device. A second device, for instance a PC, is not required.

The backup feature is ideal for securing data before handing devices over to others, for instance for repairs.

The idea behind the feature

Samsung explains that the service is ideal for securing data before replacements or repairs. Devices that need to be repaired are often inaccessible for a period of time.

If they need to be send in, there is a slim but existing chance that the package gets lost during transit.

Temporary Cloud Backup is integrated into Maintenance Mode. Samsung introduced Maintenance Mode in the Samsung Galaxy S22. It protects personal data and information when activated.

When users activate the mode, a separate user account is created that others may access when repairing Samsung devices. Samsung users find the mode under Settings > Battery and Device Care > Maintenance Mode.

Samsung explains:

Maintenance mode protects your privacy while someone else is using your phone, such as when you’re sending it for repairs.

Personal data, including a user’s photos, documents and messages, is restricted in Maintenance Mode. User-installed apps become unavailable as well. While apps may be downloaded and installed in the mode, they are removed from the device along with any “data or accounts” when the owner of the device exits Maintenance Mode.

Temporary Cloud Backup complements Maintenance Mode. It pushes a backup of the user’s personal data to the Samsung cloud. From there, it can be retrieved at any time during the 30-day period.

Temporary Cloud Backup

Temporary Cloud Backup by Samsung

The new backup feature serves several purposes. Repair and maintenance are two of the main applications, but it is also helpful for new devices.

The integrated Setup Wizard of Samsung devices includes an option to restore data backed up at Samsung’s Cloud using the temporary backup feature. Users may use it to move their files between devices.

The feature is attached to Maintenance Mode and the device’s Reset function.

The backup app displays the available options. These include backing up apps, calls and contacts, messages, secure folder data, settings and more.

The process requires an active wireless connection. Samsung’s device displays the transfer progress during the operation.

Samsung informs owners of the data before the 30-day limit is reached. This should give them enough time to restore the data before it is deleted automatically.

Closing Words

The full rollout is starting this fall for all Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets with One UI 6. The first devices will be the Galaxy S and Z series in Korea.

Temporary Cloud Backup and Maintenance Mode are two useful features. Maintenance Mode blocks access to personal data during repairs and maintenance operations. Cloud backup saves the data so that it can be restored at a later point; this is also useful when sending in devices.

Now You: how do you handle data on your devices during repairs?